1/31 IMPACT WRESTLING RECAP

Join the Starman as he cover tonight’s pre-taped episode of Impact Wrestling which takes place in Manchester, England.

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A “Previously on Impact Wrestling” recap kicks off tonight’s show and focuses on the wedding of Brooke Hogan and Bully Ray that was interrupted by Aces & Eights. Last week, Ray and Sting made a plea to Hulk Hogan to life Ray’s suspension and they hope to hear from Hogan tonight. We then join the show in Manchester, England, for Open Fight Night in which Kurt Angle will face Mr. Anderson in a steel cage and Dixie Carter will make a huge announcement about the future of Impact Wrestling.

Bad Influence makes their way to the ring wearing kilts and Braveheart makeup on their faces. Kazarian says it’s throwback Thursday and they are paying tribute to the true heros of the UK, the Scots. Daniels gets on the microphone and says he may have lost last week, but he will become World Champion and he will bring the title over to their rotten country. They are interrupted by Magnus’ music and gets a loud response from the home crowd. Magnus says calls Bad Influence disrespectful and are in need of a good slap.

Magnus then challenges Daniels to a fight if he is looking for one and Daniels pushes him. Magnus then goes after both of them but the numbers game catches up with him. Magnus, though, is able to send Kazarian out to the floor and then levels Daniels with a boot before tossing him to the floor. Magnus again grabs the microphone and says how it is a privilege to wrestle in the ring, and one person almost took that away from him. Magnus then issues a challenge to Devon as the Aces & Eights music hits and Devon makes his way out as we head into a commercial break.

Match 1: Magnus vs. Devon
The bell rings and Magnus sends Devon out to the floor and sends him into the guard railing a few times before rolling him back into the ring. Devon is able to crotch Magnus on the ropes as he enters the ring and begins to wear Magnus down. Magnus tries a few times to make a comeback, but Devon always manages to keep control of the match. Devon, though, finally misses with a flying headbutt as Magnus fires off a few clotheslines and a flying knee. Magnus then takes Devon out with a slam as Aces & Eights begin to swarm the ring, however, Magnus is able to keep them out. The referee calls for the bell, though, and Magnus wins the match via disqualification.

A video package on Joseph Park is aired, which recaps what he said in the ring last week. Park has studied over the week to carefully select his opponent and he will be calling out that opponent up next. The announce team then hype Dixie Carter’s major announcement as we head into a commercial break.

Bully Ray, Brooke Hogan, and Sting are backstage and Ray is worried that he hasn’t heard from Hulk Hogan yet. Sting says he got a short message from Hogan earlier saying that he would be there.

Joseph Park is in the ring and gets a cheap pop from the UK crowd before saying that he has had a stressful week trying to select an opponent to call out. Robbie E’s music interrupts as Park says he wasn’t going to pick him. Robbie runs down Park and calls him a joke and runs down the crowd, which doesn’t get a good reaction from Robbie T. Robbie then asks Park why he doesn’t fight him and Park agrees to it.

Match 2: Joseph Park vs. Robbie E.
Robbie tries to take Park down with a cross body block but Park doesn’t budge. Park then takes Robbie down with a couple of arm drags and a scoop slam, but misses with a splash. Robbie comes back with a few kicks before connecting with a clothesline from the middle rope for a near fall. Robbie then misses with a corner charge as Park mounts a comeback and takes Robbie down with a belly-to-belly suplex. Park then heads to the middle rope and hits a splash for the pin fall. To celebrate his first victory on Impact, Park jumps around the ring before heading out and slapping the hands of the ringside fans.

The announce team continue to hype tonight’s steel cage match and Dixie Carter’s major announcement as we head into a commercial break.

Hulk Hogan is seen walking backstage as he is in Manchester, England. We then head to the ring where Austin Aries and Bobby Roode are out there with a microphone. Aries says there are there to usher in a new era as they are on the same page and they are going to collect all the gold. Aries then says they are going to start by taking the easiest ones away, the TNA Tag Team Championship. They are interrupted by Chavo and Hernandez and asks if they are even a tag team. Aries says they are a tag team and suggests that if one of them beats either of them, then they get their title shot. Chavo agrees to it and we have our next match.

Match 3: Austin Aries vs. Chavo Guerrero
Chavo starts out strong against Aries in the early portion of the match until we head to a commercial break. We return to the match as the fight has gone out to the floor and Aries takes Chavo out with a dive through the ropes and sending him into the railing. Back in the ring, Aries begins to work over Chavo and picks up a few near falls in the process. Aries then wears Chavo down with a headlock as the crowd seems to be split between the two. Aries heads to the top rope a mocks Guerrero and misses with a frog splash. Chavo then connects with a dropkick and with a flip kick for a near fall. Chavo then hits the Three Amigos and follows with a frog splash but Roode enters the ring to distract the referee. The referee then has his hands full as Roode distracts Chavo and Aries is able to pick up Chavo and hits the brainbuster to pick up the pin fall.

Brooke Hogan is backstage and tells Bully Ray that her father is in the building. Ray then takes her hand and goes looking for him as we head into a commercial break.

Kurt Angle is in the locker room with Samoa Joe, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff. Joe guarantees that it will be only Angle and Mr. Anderson in the cage. Bischoff and Brisco tell Angle that they have his back as well, but Joe gets upset and says he doesn’t need them riding their coattails before walking off. Angle then tells the two that it is just Joe being Joe.

A video package on Bully Ray’s suspension is aired. Bully Ray’s music then hits as he and Brooke make their way to the ring. Ray says he has had a tough couple of weeks and because of his love for Brooke, he is suspended. Ray then tells Hogan that they are family now, and they have a common enemy in Aces & Eights. Ray then calls out Sting to help get through to Hogan and lift his suspension. Sting’s music hits and he comes out to the ring to say that he doesn’t have the stroke to get Hogan out to the ring, but encourages the fans to start a “Hogan!” chant.

The fans start chanting Hogan’s name until Hogan’s music hits and he comes out and joins the group in the ring. Sting tells Hogan that they have a war going on with Aces & Eights and wants Hogan to make things right with Ray right now. Hogan agrees with the war going on and says he always does the right thing. Hogan says he did the right thing by walking his daughter down the aisle for her wedding and he always does the right thing where his family is concerned and reinstates Ray. Hogan says he is still confused with business and family so next week he is going to make a match for two members of Aces & Eights to take on Sting and his son-in-lay, Ray, in a tables match.

Velvet Sky is seen walking backstage and the announcers hype Dixie Carter’s huge announcement as we head into a commercial break.

Dixie Carter is in a pre-taped segment and says that it’s time to take Impact Wrestling on the road permanently starting on March 14, live from Chicago at the Sears Center arena. Dixie then thanks the fans for making Impact Wrestling a success and that they’ll see them in their hometown.

Velvet Sky makes her way to the ring and grabs a microphone. Velvet says tonight is a special night for her and is going to call out the two reasons as to why she isn’t Knockouts Champion today. Velvet calls out Tara and her boyfriend, Jessie. Tara and Jessie come out as Velvet says she doesn’t want a handicap match and says she got a partner of her own as James Storm’s music hits.

Match 4: Velvet Sky & James Storm vs. Tara & Jessie
Storm starts out against Jessie and Storm tosses him across the ring before taking him down with a hard right. Tara then distracts Storm, which allows Jessie to gain control of the match. Jessie picks up a few pin attempts before Storm is able to counter and hits the back cracker. Storm tags in Velvet and Tara comes in as Velvet takes her down with a headscissors and picks up a few near falls. Velvet appears to have botched a move as Storm comes in and takes Jessie out. Velvet then recovers and takes Tara down with the In Yo’ Face to pick up the pin fall.

The announce team hypes tonight’s steel cage match and we see photos of the attack on Jeff Hardy from last week is aired and we will hear an update after the commercial break.

Footage from last week’s attack on Jeff Hardy is aired. Mike Tenay says Hardy had an MRI taken on his knee and we will get more information on the results next week. A recap of Hulk Hogan reinstating Bully Ray is also aired as an irate Taz says Impact Wrestling needs to remove Hogan from power. Hulk Hogan is backstage and says Bully Ray is okay in his book after what he did for them during their wedding. Hogan says he is going to give his new son-in-law a wedding present with a tables match next week.

The steel cage has been set up around the ring as we are treated to footage from Lockdown in 2010 where Mr. Anderson met Kurt Angle in the cage. Angle hit a moonsault from the top of the cage before escaping the cage and winning the match. Mr. Anderson is backstage and says he thought long about taking on Angle in the cage and says Angle isn’t going to leave the UK the same. We then see Samoa Joe laid out in the back as Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco are standing around him. Kurt Angle tells Brisco to come out with him and tells Bischoff to get Joe help as we head into a commercial break.

Match 5: Mr. Anderson vs. Kurt Angle (Steel Cage Match)
The cage door is locked and Anderson fights in a vest and jeans. Anderson goes on the early advantage and picks up a quick near fall but Angle comes back and connects with a dropkick from the middle rope. Angle then takes Anderson down with a German suplex and goes for an Angle Slam but Anderson counters and hits a fireman’s carry for a near fall. Anderson then sends Angle into the side of the cage a few times but Angle counters and sends Anderson into the cage and hits an Angle Slam for a near fall. Both men then lay on the canvas as we head into a commercial break.

We return to the match and see Anderson level Angle with a clothesline. Anderson begins to scale the side of the cage but Angle stops him and trade blows on the top rope. Anderson finally drops down to the canvas and crotches Angle on the top rope before picking up a near fall. Anderson continues to work over Angle before trying to escape once again. Angle cuts him off once again and sends Anderson crashing down to the mat with an Angle Slam off the top rope. Angle goes for a cover but Anderson kicks out once again.

A “This is awesome!” chant begins as Anderson hits Angle with a Mic Check for a near fall. Both Angle and Anderson are slow to get up but Anderson does and again tries to escape from the cage. Angle cuts him off once more and takes Anderson down with a powerbomb for a near fall and turns it into an ankle lock. Angle locks it in the middle of the ring and Anderson finally taps out as Angle wins by submission.

After the match, an Aces & Eights member scales the side of the cage as Wes Brisco comes in and locks the cage behind him. The guy then takes off his mask and it is Garett Bischoff. Angle begins to yell at Bischoff before going after him, however, Brisco takes him out at the knee. Brisco takes off his shirt to reveal an Aces & Eights vest as the two begin to beat down Angle. Taz says this was all part of the setup and calls Bischoff and Brisco smart for knowing who the power group is. Bischoff and Brisco finish Angle off as Impact Wrestling comes to a close.

Here is the thing though, sure they continue to mostly fill arenas when they go to the UK, but when they venture outside of the Impact Zone in the USA for TV/PPV they can barely draw the amount of people that they get in the Impact Zone.

Personally though I hope the raised entrance ramp stays, I’ve always like that style moreso then the traditional style.

Agree with the general consensus. I avoided reading the spoilers for this, the end is no big shock.

TNA is at least trying to thread long term storylines. Just missing something, I can’t put my finger on it, maybe a shock jumper from WWE to TNA or hopefully they just continue to grow and move forwards and the rest will come.

Anyone in the US got an idea how’s the Sears Arena rates in terms of size compared with the regular WWE arenas?

Dave – if I remember right, the Sears Center is the same place where TNA held Bound for Glory IV. I was at that PPV and it is a pretty decent sized place, at least in terms of arenas that TNA holds shows in. I want to say there were around 4500-5000 people in attendance.

The one time I went to a taping at the Impact Zone, it was fairly full at the beginning but by about 2/3 of the way through people had started leaving so they moved a bunch of us from the upper bleachers down to the side the static camera faces so it still looked full on the in-ring shots. At every place there would be a commercial break, Jeremy Borash came out and basically narrated and gave recaps, essentially coaching us on who to cheer and boo (it was the day after the PPV when Jeff Hardy joined Immortal, so his turn was fresh).

There were a fair number of TNA/wrestling in general fans there, but a higher percentage than I expected were just Universal tourists probably looking for something air-conditioned and free or to say they’d been to a taping of anything, and they needed what Borash did. On the other hand, when I went to a house show in Minnesota Borash hosted but not nearly to the same extent.

All that to say, by getting out of Orlando TNA is likely to have a higher percentage of actual, knowledgeable fans at tapings, which is probably better for the TV product. However, we’ll see what the impact (pun intended) is on them winning over new fans.